Aquino urged to stop rice imports, impose price control while raiding rice hoarders

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  – Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares urged President Benigno Aquino III to stop the importation of rice and implement price control on the staple to stymie the rice cartel.

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Colmenares said conducting raids against unscrupulous traders alone would not address the problem on rice cartel, which has flooded the market with adulterated rice sold at high prices.

“President Aquino should immediately stop import liberalization and deregulation policies and at the same time conduct the raids because raids would be useless if imported rice continuously flood the market, which is controlled by the rice cartel,” the militant lawmaker said in a statement sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Colmenares said a price ceiling should also be enforced “so as to protect consumers because the cartel would try to jack up prices.”

“Imposing a price ceiling, which will immediately penalize a violator with a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, has more teeth than a “suggested” retail price, which will just start an investigation,” he said.

Colmenares also said Malacañang should train its focus on opportunistic rice traders instead of small retailers.

“The small retailers do not have the power to manipulate prices all over the country, only big time cartels have that power,” he added.

In Digos City, Davao del Sur Gov. Claude Bautista said the provincial government has been closely coordinating with other government agencies to identify the sources of adulterated rice being sold in the markets.

The National Food Authority (NFA) is important in the campaign against unscrupulous traders – who mix commercial rice with cheap imported varieties – as it has the mandate to run after them, according to Bautista.

“We can only do so much,” Digos City Mayor Joseph Peñas agreed.

As of Sunday, none of the big warehouses belonging to major rice traders in the province has been inspected.

Felimon Cangrejo, provincial NFA head, said they have been monitoring rice operations with the assistance of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

“How come they could not find one? Adulterated rice are being widely sold in Digos City for example. These were being passed off as well-milled variety,” Editha Maliwanag, who admitted having to return a sack of “7-tonner” rice to a retailer for being adulterated, said.

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